Book Release – Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb

Book Release – Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
“When you spring to an idea, and decide it is truth, without evidence, you blind yourself to other possibilities.” – Robin Hobb, Assassin’s Apprentice
 
We sprang to this idea some years ago. Whilst there are other limited editions of this brilliant piece of fiction, we still absolutely had to do our own. Truth be told, Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy” has been one of my holy grails since starting Curious King, so it gives me overwhelming pleasure to reveal the details of our fine press edition of “Assassin’s Apprentice” illustrated by Lixin Yin!
Without doubt one my favourite series in fantasy (and my wife’s favourite!). Nobody does character development quite so authentically as Robin Hob does and being given the reins to elevate a published edition to the quality of said story has been a real pleasure.
We’ll be releasing each book in the Farseer Trilogy separately with Assassin’s Apprentice first up! Our edition has three tiers :
       Standard Edition – x750 copies
        Deluxe Edition – x250 copies
        Lettered Edition – x26 copies
Due to a rather quick sell out on The Martian, we have increased the numbers across the Standard and Deluxe Edition to give more people a chance to get a copy. This doesn’t always mean everyone will get one sadly, I often get it wrong predicting how quickly the releases sell out…
All copies across all tiers come with Series Rights, so those who buy Assassin’s Apprentice will get rights to purchase Royal Assassin next year. There will likely be a handful of Publishers Rights available for Deluxe Editions #1-150 on the public pre-order, but we won’t know the exact numbers until the rights holder period has ended. For more information on rights, click here.
It’s also worth mentioning we have used 120gsm and 118gsm paper on this release to account for the much larger Royal Assassin and Assassin’s Quest. We need to ensure the spines of the full set are actually manageable and bindable.
For now, here is our edition of Assassin’s Apprentice!

Assassin's Apprentice

Assassin’s Apprentice, published in 1995, is the debut novel of Robin Hobb and the first book in The Farseer Trilogy. Set in the fictional Six Duchies, it follows FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard trained as an assassin. Born to Prince Chivalry, Fitz is raised in secrecy at Buckkeep Castle after his father abdicates. The story blends political intrigue, magic, and personal growth, as Fitz navigates his dual training in the deadly arts of assassination and the mystical Skill, a form of magic used by the ruling Farseer line. His loyalty to King Shrewd and his uncle, Prince Verity, is tested amidst court conspiracies and the looming threat of the Red Ship Raiders, who devastate coastal towns with brutal raids and a mysterious affliction called Forging, which strips victims of their humanity. Hobb’s rich world-building and deep character development, particularly Fitz’s struggles with identity and isolation, make this a compelling coming-of-age tale.
The Farseer Trilogy, comprising Assassin’s Apprentice (1995), Royal Assassin (1996), and Assassin’s Quest (1997), is celebrated for its intricate plotting and emotional depth, establishing Hobb as a leading voice in epic fantasy. The series explores themes of duty, sacrifice, and the cost of power, with Fitz’s journey intertwined with the fate of the Six Duchies. The trilogy is part of the larger Realm of the Elderlings series, spanning 16 books across multiple sub-series, which further develop the world’s magic systems, like the Skill and the Wit (a bond with animals), and its diverse cultures.
Assassin’s Apprentice was a critical and commercial success selling millions of copies, marking Hobb’s breakthrough. Published by Bantam Books, it received nominations for awards like the 1997 British Fantasy Award and has been translated into over 20 languages, reflecting its global appeal. Her debut release Assassin’s Apprentice is widely regarded as a cornerstone of modern epic fantasy, perfect for this exquisite special edition.

Robin Hobb

The pseudonym of Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden, is an acclaimed American fantasy author born on March 5, 1952, in Berkeley, California. Raised in Alaska, she developed a love for storytelling early, publishing her first short story at age 18. Writing initially as Megan Lindholm, she produced works like The Limbreth Gate (1984) before adopting the Hobb pseudonym for her breakthrough novel, Assassin’s Apprentice (1995), the first in The Farseer Trilogy. Now residing in Tacoma, Washington, Hobb has balanced her writing career with family life, drawing inspiration from her surroundings and personal experiences to craft immersive fantasy worlds. Her extensive bibliography spans over 20 novels, primarily in the Realm of the Elderlings series, which includes five interconnected sub-series exploring the Six Duchies and beyond.
Hobb’s writing style is renowned for its emotional depth, intricate world-building, and character-driven narratives. Her prose blends lyrical introspection with gritty realism, focusing on complex protagonists like FitzChivalry Farseer, whose personal struggles mirror broader political and magical conflicts. Her magic systems, such as the Skill and the Wit, are meticulously crafted, emphasizing psychological and societal consequences. Hobb’s ability to weave themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and identity into sprawling yet intimate epics has earned her a distinctive place in fantasy literature.
Hobb enjoys widespread popularity, with The Farseer Trilogy and subsequent series translated into over 20 languages and selling millions of copies worldwide. Her work has garnered critical acclaim, including the 2018 David Gemmell Award for Fantasy for Assassin’s Fate (the final book in the Fitz and Fool series). Critics praise her for redefining epic fantasy with psychologically rich characters and nuanced storytelling, making her a beloved figure among readers and a cornerstone of the genre.

Art

Contributing 12 colour pieces of art for this release is the talented Lixin Yin as well as a few B&W pieces for use on various pages. 11 of the colours grace the interior of the book as well as a new map created of the Six Duchies by Jack Shepherd (he did our First Law map).
Lixin Yin is one of the most versatile concept artists around and has brought so many of these amazing scenes to life beautifully. Lixin has done an incredible job capturing the mood and tone of the Six Duchies whilst doing a great job of producing authentic character likenesses and interactions.
For the first time I had some help with the art direction of the illustrations by a good friend Maurice Lutgens, who worked with Robin, Lixin and I on the project. Maurice, like myself, is a huge fan of the series and Robin’s work and helped curate the art across all paintings.
Exclusive Dustjacket art for the Standard Edition
Lixin Yin is a highly accomplished concept artist, keyframe artist, and illustrator based in San Francisco, with over a decade of experience in the film and gaming industries. Originally from China, Yin has established himself as a prominent figure in visual storytelling, contributing to major projects across both mediums. His professional journey includes work with renowned studios such as Marvel Studios, Legendary Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Tencent, showcasing his versatility and skill in creating immersive visual worlds. His portfolio spans high-profile films like Kong: Skull Island (2017), The Marvels (2023), and Secret Invasion (2023 TV mini-series), as well as video games including The Avengers, Assassin’s Creed, Warhammer 40,000, and Magic: The Gathering card art, such as The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and Fallout sets.
Yin’s artistic style is characterized by its dynamic composition, vivid detail, and a seamless blend of realism and imaginative flair, particularly in sci-fi and fantasy genres. His concept art and keyframes often feature richly textured environments and dramatic scenes that enhance narrative depth, as seen in his work for Kong: Skull Island, where he crafted evocative jungle landscapes, and Magic: The Gathering, where his illustrations, like Catachan Jungle Fighters and Armageddon Steel Legion, bring fantastical worlds to life with a gritty, immersive quality. Yin’s ability to balance intricate detail with atmospheric scale makes his work stand out, earning praise for its cinematic energy and storytelling precision. His digital painting techniques, often shared through tutorials on platforms like YouTube, demonstrate a mastery of light, color, and mood, influencing aspiring artists globally.

Standard Edition

Limited to 750 copies only, the Standard Edition is over 300 pages and is letterpress printed on Arena Ivory Rough 120gsm paper. This is the only version with the wraparound dustjacket art by Lixin Yin, and is printed on 250gsm satin laminated paper and will be foil stamped with the title and author.
The boards are handbound in “Buck” blue buckram with a large wraparound design foil stamped in pigmented Azure blue by the artisans at Ludlow Bookbinders. The spine is rounded, foil stamped with two colours and comes with red head and tailbands and matching red coloured ribbon. This edition comes with an illustrated endpaper by Lixin Yin.
The handmade slipcase is covered in an Azure heritage buckram bookcloth and has two hits of foil stamping crossing the front and spine. Each copy is handbound by Ludlow Bookbinders.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-order Price – £225
Published Price – £245

This is a pre-order forecast to ship H1 2026

Deluxe Edition

Limited to 250 copies only. The Deluxe Edition is over 300 pages and is letterpress printed on Arena Ivory Rough 120gsm paper. The colour images are offset printed and tipped in throughout the book and includes an illustrated endpaper by Lixin Yin.
The boards are covered in leather, a beautiful deep green grained goat with two “Buck” shaped cutouts on the front and band. The cutout material will be cream cloth with 3 hits of foil stamping for the Fitz and Nosy design.
The spine has been rounded with brown head and tail bands and a dark green ribbon. The top edge has also been hand-sprayed tan with green flecks.
A capped green leather curved slipcase houses the book with a dark brown buckram. The slipcase features a foil stamped two-colour pattern. The slipcase is lined with suedel and the spine has white and gold foil stamped design.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-order Price – £575
Published Price – £600

This is a pre-order forecast to ship H1 2026

Lettered Edition

Limited to 26 copies only. The Lettered Edition is over 300 pages and is letterpress printed on Mohawk Superfine Eggshell 118gsm paper.
The book boards are covered in a tan deer leather with a beautiful wraparound design by Lixin Yin of Fitz and Nosy stamped in three colours. The spine is rounded and all three edges hand coloured a dark brown/green/tan. The head and tailbands are a dark green with a brown ribbon.
The handmade enclosure is made out of wenge wood and has an intricate 6-layer laser-cut design inset to the cover and a 3-layer design inset into the box’s spine. We intend to do different designs for each of the three books in this series.
Interior trays are lined with brown suedel and a ribbon to allow easy access to the book.
This edition is signed by both the author and artist.
Pre-Order Price – £2,350
Published Price – £2,500

This is a pre-order forecast to ship H1 2026

As with other releases I will still be tweaking the designs before they go into production as there are often small improvements that can be made from the initial prototypes.

Pre-order Information

The Rights Holder period for owners of Publishers Rights (Lettered owners and Deluxe owners of #1-#150) is now open and you should receive an email within the next couple of hours to purchase your matching title. You have until July 14th at 21:00BST to take up your rights, and any copies not claimed will go into the public pre-sale.
If you believe you should have had an email and haven’t had one by 19:00BST today then please email us to check. Also if somebody thinks they have received an email erroneously then please flag with us just in case!
The public pre-sale for Standard Editions, at least 100 Deluxe copies and any remaining copies of each tier is set for July 15th at 20:00BST. Links will be sent out via newsletter and social media, and we will have a holding page setup prior to the release.
We will be sending out individual hyperlinks for each tier ahead if the public-sale for the product pages hosted on shopify. These links will be dead until 20:00BST on July 15th at which point they will go live and you will be able to purchase.
We strongly recommend people use the direct links rather than going through our edition page on the website as with The Martian, the shopify add to cart button didn’t work for everyone who was online ready to purchase.

 

To simplify :
– Create ShopPay account prior to public pre-order
Save the links of the tiers you want to purchase when we send via newsletter Friday/Monday
– Open the link on your browser prior to 20:00BST on July 15th
Refresh the page when 20:00BST arrives
– Add to cart (if purchasing deluxe and standard then open two links, add each to cart)
– Select shipping method
– Checkout

Production

 The interior layouts are currently being proofed ready for letterpress printing and we’re waiting for our slot with Nomad Letterpress later this year. We envision this shipping H1 2026 due to the limited amount of artisan Letterpress printers and handbinders. 
Pre-order for Royal Assassin (Book #2 in the Farseer Trilogy) will pre-order in 2026, and Assassin’s Quest (Book #3) in 2027
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